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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today advised young entrepreneurs to have a good business plan and to be ready to bear potential losses, but above all to value the knowledge gained from the experience. Mr Chui said this when he visited the stalls at the Lunar New Year Fair in Tap Seac Square this afternoon, buying festive decorations, accessories and some Lunar New Year flowers. He greeted and shook hands with many people attending the fair, wishing them prosperity, happiness and good health for the Year of the Monkey. During the visit, Mr Chui talked with some young stall operators and shared thoughts on how to run a business. He said young entrepreneurs considering starting their own business need to have a good business plan and adequate financing. In addition, they should be mentally prepared to bear potential losses. In the end, the most important reward would be the knowledge gained from the experience, he added. Mr Chui told stall operators he hoped the better weather conditions forecast for Macao in the next few days would draw more people to the fair and help boost sales. To have a better grasp of Macao’s society, Mr Chui regularly visits different neighbourhoods across the city at different times of the year. The Chief Executive will continue doing such visits, going to different community areas and contacting with people from all walks of life.
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The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government Dr. Alexis Tam has led a delegation to Japan to mark Macao’s first-time participation in the Sapporo Snow Festival, as one of the guests to officiate the event inauguration tomorrow (5 February). Macao is a feature destination at this year’s edition of the Sapporo Snow Festival, showcasing a snow sculpture of the Ruins of St. Paul’s at the center of the event with video mapping projections about Macao. A Macao Café will greet visitors with the warmth of drinks and delicacies in the same area, alongside an exhibition of photographs by a Macao artist based in Hokkaido; besides the above highlights, a team from Macau Culinary Association has also been invited to join the International Snow Sculpture Contest as well, etc. Taking this valuable opportunity, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) brings on a spectacular promotion filled with colorful new dimensions to present the enchanting destination in snowy beauty to an estimated number of nearly two million Japanese residents and international visitors in the Sapporo Snow Festival. Through participation in this prestigious international event, MGTO strives to carry out effective promotion of destination image and attract more international visitations to Macao. Prestigious event attracts over two million visitors Jointly organized by the City of Sapporo, Sapporo Tourist Association, Sapporo Board of Education and Sapporo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the 67th Sapporo Snow Festival is held in Sapporo, Hokkaido from 5 – 11 February. The event is a popular winter festival that attracts every year over two million visitors from home and abroad, and a wide media coverage from across the world. The Festival features over 200 snow and ice sculptures on display across three sites this year. Spanning over 1.5 kilometers long, 1 chome to 12 chome of Odori Park is transformed into a snow and ice fairyland as Odori Site, the major showcase venue in the Festival. The opening ceremony of the Sapporo Snow Festival will be held on the HBC Macao Square, located at 7 chome, the heart of Odori Site tomorrow (5 February), with the giant snow sculpture of the Ruins of St Paul’s as the key backdrop. Secretary Tam has been invited to officiate the opening together with other guests. Macao debuts in Sapporo Snow Festival as a feature destination Macao makes its debut in the Sapporo Snow Festival this year as a feature destination and proudly presents the giant snow sculpture of the Ruins of St. Paul’s on the HBC Macao Square at the centre of Odori Site. Hokkaido Broadcasting Company (HBC) is the first broadcasting company founded in Hokkaido. Since 1975, the company has completed various snow sculpture projects in partnership with different countries and regions; together naming the center venue of the event, HBC undertakes the project planning for various snow sculptures themed as major attractions of the partner regions as well. Besides, HBC would widely promote the projects and its partner regions on its broadcasting channels. This year, the Ruins of St. Paul’s in snow is set to come into the spotlight in the event, a prime opportunity to effectively present Macao’s image as a city of culture and events to Japanese residents and international visitors. Secretary Tam receives the snow sculpture of the Ruins of St. Paul’s The traditional handover ceremony of snow statue was held this morning (4 February) at the HBC Macao Square. On behalf of Macao, Secretary Tam received the giant snow sculpture of the Ruins of St. Paul’s that measures 17 meters high and two-thirds the original size of the historic façade. The magnificent artwork will come on display at the 67th Sapporo Snow Festival, running 5 to 11 February in Hokkaido, inviting visitors from around the world to come and experience Macao. The handover ceremony was attended by Sapporo City Mayor, Katsuhiro Akimoto; Chairman of the Sapporo Snow Festival Executive Committee, Hisao Hoshino; President of Hokkaido Broadcasting Company, Takashi Watanabe and Commander of Northern Army Signal Group of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Kazuhiro Oka. Coming from Macao, Chief of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ip Peng Kin, MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Advisor of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Charles Lam and Head of Destination Marketing Department of MGTO, Betty Fok, were present in the ceremony among others. Promotion at Snow Festival draws event lovers to Macao During the handover ceremony, Secretary Tam said that the Ruins of St Paul’s and the World Heritage “Historic Centre of Macao” is a magnet for visitors travelling to Macao. He hoped to echo the successful experience of Macao Light Festival and showcase Macao in a spectacular way at the Sapporo Snow Festival, to match this outstanding winter event. Secretary Tam is confident that the Macao promotion at the Sapporo Snow Festival will reach a new milestone in Macao SAR government’s efforts in promoting event tourism to invite more Japanese residents and international visitors who are event enthusiasts to Macao. He added that Macao has experienced remarkable developments as a tourism destination over the past period. Not only new integrated resorts have opened, but the heritage and events have also been revamped and enhanced. The SAR Government’s continuous efforts in enhancing Macao as a tourism destination with the goal to transform the city into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure have been recognized with many awards and rankings internationally. Secretary Tam pointed out that Macao ranked first among Asian destinations Japanese visitors would like to visit most in 2016, according to a social media trend research conducted by the top travel agency H.I.S. in Japan. He expressed gratitude to Japanese visitors for their love for Macao, and agreed that the research finding has recognized Macao’s destination glamour. He remarked that Japan, likewise, is one of Macao residents’ favorite destinations to visit. During the handover ceremony, Sapporo City Mayor, Katsuhiro Akimoto, remarked that the snow statue of the Ruins of St Paul's will foster international exchange as well as friendship between Macao and Japan as a bridge. President of HBC, Takashi Watanabe, stated that it gives an unusual dynamic to have Macao’s historic landmark, part of its World Heritage Site, recreated on the HBC International Square. Back in the 17th century, the Japanese painters and artisans in Macao dedicated their ideas and techniques to building the façade of the Church of St. Paul’s. Today, the Ruins of St. Paul’s in ice was carved by Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, resembling an extension of the project dating centuries ago. Commander of Northern Army Signal Group of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Kazuhiro Oka, shared that their crew members took 30 days to build the iconic snow sculpture in severe weather. Colorful activities enhance audience experience During the Snow Festival, MGTO will project a 3D video mapping show upon the snowy façade of the Ruins of St. Paul’s, to radiate the myriad sparks of Macao’s cultural heritage and events ignited by their synergistic effect, and echo the splendor of Macao Light Festival in spectators’ eyes. The 10 minute-long projections will dazzle the snow sculpture every half an hour, enchanting the audience with the beauty of Macao in a fairytale of winter wonderland. Next to the snow-carved Ruins of St. Paul’s, a romantic Macao Café is set up to serve heartwarming Macao delicacies and hot drinks for visitors this snowy winter. In this café filled with Portuguese aroma, guests can relish Macao’s signature flavor recreated by Japanese chef who specially travelled to Macao to gain culinary experience. Besides, MGTO has invited Macao artist Season Lao, born in the 80s and currently based in Hokkaido, to share with visitors stories about Macao through a display of his stunning photographs of Macao. In addition, MGTO has invited a team of three snow-carving artists from Macau Culinary Association to join the 43rd International Snow Sculpture Contest, another highlight of the Festival, on behalf of Macao. Led by Chairman of the Association Perry Yuan Kam Hung, the team has to sculpt a snow sculpture openly at 11 chome on Odori Site from 4 to 7 February, presenting a piece of artwork known as “Golden Lotus Flower Embraced by the Dragon”. Winners will be announced on site on 8 February followed by a prize-giving ceremony. Draw international visitors to Macao through prestigious events overseas This year marks the debut of MGTO in the Sapporo Snow Festival. The Office not only displays a snow sculpture of the Ruins of St. Paul’s at the Festival’s major site, but also rolls out vibrant activities with various creative elements. The brand-new promotion is carried out to invite Snow Festival visitors to come and experience Macao. Leveraging the far-reaching influence of overseas international events, MGTO aspires to promote the destination effectively and bring to Macao more international visitors interested in joining mega events.
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The University of Macau (UM) will confer the Doctor of Letters honoris causa degree on Prof Pai Hsien-yung on Wednesday 24 February, in recognition of his contributions to literature and the art of Kun opera. There will also be a Doctor honoris causa Lecture titled ‘My Kun Opera Journey’ by Prof Pai Hsien-yung. The ceremony and the lecture will be held at 5:00pm in the University Hall. The lecture will be conducted in Mandarin, with simultaneous interpretation into English. Those who are interested please make online registration at https://isw.umac.mo/evm/register/kunop. For enquiries, please call 8822 8400 or email to prs.event@umac.mo. Prof Pai Hsien-yung is a world-renowned writer, who has made a significant contribution to promoting the art of Kun opera. He received his master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1965. Prof Pai has published many works, including short story collections Lonely Seventeen, Taipei People and The New Yorker, the essay collection Mo Ran Hui Shou (Suddenly Turning Back), and the novel Crystal Boys. His works have been translated into various languages and have been adapted into plays and films. Prof Pai is dedicated to promoting Chinese culture. He has produced a youth version of Peony Pavilion, a masterpiece of Kun opera, and it has been performed in different parts of the world.
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Consumer Council conducted its latest ‘Supermarket price survey’ in February on 3 February for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included 25 supermarkets in N. Sra. de Fátima, São Lázaro and São Lourenço Parishes. The latest ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ is now available on Consumer Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps, and on the Council’s WeChat account page. The survey is also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM’s Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries. With reference to the local six parishes and the number of supermarkets in each parish, the Council has divided around 100 supermarkets into 8 areas for price collection. The Council collects prices from these supermarkets for the provision of a more comprehensive database for consumers to check price discrepancies and make price comparisons according to their desired locations. For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, money supply rebounded in December. As total deposits increased whereas total loans decreased, the overall loan-to-deposit ratio of the banking sector dropped from a month earlier. Money supply Currency in circulation and demand deposits grew 0.3% and 1.9% respectively. M1 thus increased 1.6% from one month earlier. Concurrently, quasi-monetary liabilities grew 0.5%. The sum of these two items, i.e. M2, increased 0.7% to MOP472.8 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 dropped 0.3% and 3.0% respectively. The share of Pataca (MOP) in M2 stood at 29.9%, down 0.1 percentage point from a month ago but up 4.3 percentage points from a year earlier. The share of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) in M2 was 51.5%, up 0.9 percentage points month-to-month or 0.8 percentage points year-on-year. The share of Chinese Yuan (CNY) was 6.7%, down 0.7 percentage points month-to-month or 7.4 percentage points year-on-year. The share of United States Dollar (USD) was 9.6%, down 0.1 percentage point month-to-month but up 2.1 percentage points year-on-year. Deposits Resident deposits increased 0.7% from the preceding month to MOP460.8 billion. Of which, MOP, HKD, USD and other foreign currency deposits increased at respective rates of 0.2%, 2.4%, 0.1% and 0.4% whereas CNY deposits decreased 8.3%. Non-resident deposits kept virtually stable at MOP268.0 billion. Public sector deposits with the banking sector increased 5.4% to MOP131.2 billion. As a result, total deposits with the banking sector grew 1.1% from a month earlier to MOP860.0 billion. The shares of MOP, HKD, CNY and USD in total deposits were 20.6%, 44.5%, 9.2% and 22.4% respectively. Loans Domestic loans to the private sector kept virtually unchanged from a month ago at MOP389.1 billion. Among which, MOP107.2 billion was MOP-denominated, MOP258.0 billion was denominated in HKD, MOP3.0 billion was denominated in CNY and MOP17.2 billion was denominated in USD, representing 27.5%, 66.3%, 0.8% and 4.4% of the total respectively. Analysed by economic sector, “non-monetary financial institutions”, “gaming” and “restaurants, hotels and similar” increased at respective rates of 16.6%, 14.5% and 8.4% compared with a quarter ago, whereas “wholesale and retail trade”, “information technology” and “manufacturing” dropped 17.5%, 16.1% and 13.3% respectively. External loans dropped 2.7% to MOP371.6 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP, HKD, CNY and USD accounted for 1.6% (MOP5.8 billion), 25.9% (MOP96.3 billion), 18.6% (MOP69.0 billion) and 48.5% (MOP180.1 billion) respectively. Operating ratios At end-December, the loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector dropped 1.1 percentage points from the previous month to 65.7%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors fell 2.3 percentage points to 88.5%. The one-month and three-month current assets to liabilities ratios stayed at relatively high levels, marked at 59.6% and 59.3% respectively. The non-performing loan ratio, an indicator for bank asset quality, was 0.1%, virtually unchanged from one month earlier and one year ago.
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Sales of live poultry in Macao markets will be suspended for three days, starting from today until Saturday (6 February). The decision was made after authorities had detected the avian influenza virus subtype H7 in a local market yesterday. To safeguard public safety and minimise the risk of spreading of the virus, the Government has culled more than 15,000 chickens at the wholesale market in Macao, where birds imported from the mainland are kept before going to local markets. The action was carried out shortly after the H7 subtype virus tested positive in an environmental sample taken yesterday evening from a live poultry stall at the Patane Temporary Market. The representatives from Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau said at the press conference that the chickens suspected of being infected with the virus came from a farm in Gaoming District, Guangdong Province. The Bureau has already informed the mainland authorities about the case. A public health contingency mechanism was immediately activated once the virus was detected. It included suspending imports from the suspected farm; and a thorough cleaning and sterilisation of the poultry wholesale market and of all live poultry stalls in local markets. The three people who manage the infected stall will be put under a 10-day medical surveillance period at the Conde S. Januário Hospital. The authorities urge those who have been to the infected stall and the Patane Temporary Market yesterday to contact the Health Bureau or call the enquiry hotline (853) 2870 0800 in case of developing symptoms such as fever and cough.
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Macao and Hong Kong are engaged in detailed negotiations regarding a mutual legal cooperation agreement, aiming to address the significant differences between the legal systems of the two Special Administrative Regions (SARs), said the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan. A proposed agreement on mutual legal assistance between the two SARs would be applied retroactively, covering older court sentences, Ms Chan told reporters. Her remarks were made on February 3 after the signing ceremony of a reciprocal visa waiver agreement between the Macao SAR and the Republic of Armenia. Commenting on the visa-free agreement, Ms Chan said it would further strengthen economic and trade ties between Macao and Armenia. It would also boost cultural exchanges between the two sides, she added. The Government would continue efforts to expand the list of countries and territories that Macao SAR passport holders can visit without a visa, in a bid to bring greater convenience to Macao residents travelling abroad, she said. Asked by reporters, the Secretary reiterated that the Government’s stance on the issue of the land concession for Pearl Horizon – an unfinished private housing project – had not changed: the decision to revert the land to the administration was made in accordance with the Land Law and related legislation. In case the same plot was again granted for residential use, the Government would strive – in compliance with the Land Law – to have as part of the concession favourable conditions for people who have bought flats on the Pearl Horizon project, said Ms Chan. The official notice declaring invalid the land concession for the Pearl Horizon project was published in the Macao SAR Gazette on 29 January 2016.
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The Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) is hosting “Getting into SALON” photography exhibition of the renowned local photographer Kong Iu Lam and his students at IFT Educational Restaurant and Team Building from 3 February to 30 April 2016. “Getting into SALON” exhibits a total of 59 salon photos of Mr. Kong and eight of his students namely, Lam Choi Chun, Lam San, Leong Ho Fei, Tam Chan Ieong, Tam Keng, Un Cheok Wai, Vong Va and Wong Weng Sang. The art pieces demonstrate flexible application of the photographic skills acquired, presenting a variety of themes including portrait, nature, landscape, architecture, street, event and more. The exhibition aims to promote the development of local cultural and creative industries as well as to enrich the arts and cultural experiences for the local community. Photography enthusiasts and the public are cordially invited to appreciate the high quality art pieces and feel the charm of salon photography. IFT has been organising the “Salon Photography” courses since 2010, delivered by Mr. Kong Iu Lam, an experienced and renowned local photographer and President of the General Assembly of the Photography Salon Society of Macao. The courses focus on enhancing students’ photography observation ability and the development of their own “photographic eye”, that is, their unique sense and angle when taking a photo. Students are also encouraged to submit works to international salon exhibitions and establish goals for their creative path. Some students have already been successfully conferred Associateship of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain and received awards from international salon photography competitions with social recognition. IFT is always committed to promoting the cultural industry in Macao. In addition to constantly providing diversified cultural and creative courses, the Institute has also been actively cooperating with local artists in organising various kinds of exhibitions in recent years, aiming to promote local creative works to the community, build up a platform for local artists to demonstrate their artistic achievements and integrate art into people’s lives. To cope with Macao SAR Government’s policy to develop and promote creative industries, IFT started to offer short and fundamental courses in photography since 2011. IFT has continuously explored courses which are up-to-date, interesting and practical for the community. Currently, IFT’s Tourism and Hotel School is working with 20 international organisations, providing professional and certified courses and assessments to the public and industry professionals. Every year, the School provides hundreds of vocational and professional courses to a total of around 20,000 participants.
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The Signing Ceremony of the Agreement between the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Armenia on Mutual Abolition of Visa Requirements took place in the Macao SAR Government Headquarters on 3 February 2016. The Government of the Macao SAR was granted the authorization from the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China to conclude the abovementioned agreement. The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms. Hoi Fan Chan, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Beijing, Mr. Armen Sargsyan, representing the Government of the Macao SAR and the Government of the Republic of Armenia respectively, signed the Agreement. After the Agreement enters into force, residents of the Macao SAR holding a valid Macao SAR Passport or a valid Macao SAR Travel Permit will be exempted from visa requirements when entering the Republic of Armenia for a stay of maximum 90 days. The effective date will be later announced. At present, a total of 120 countries or territories have agreed to grant visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to the holders of Macao SAR Passport, while 12 countries have agreed to grant Macao SAR Travel Permit holders visa-free access to their region.
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The Secretary for Security, Mr Wong Sio Chak, said the Government’s policy for handling applications by Portuguese citizens for residency in Macao had not changed. Mr Wong made the remark during a meeting on Monday (1 February) with the Consul General of Portugal in Macao and Hong Kong, Mr Vítor Sereno. Portuguese citizens in general had made a range of positive contributions to the development of Macao over the years, he added. Mr Wong said figures for the past 12 years showed only 114 applications by Portuguese citizens for residency in Macao, or 5.5 percent, were rejected out of a total of 2,039. Last year, only four applications were not accepted, from 131 applications received. Since 2003 only one unsuccessful applicant had filed an appeal against the authorities’ decision, Mr Wong said. The rejections were mainly due to the individual applicant’s failure to meet some of the statutory requirements for residency. In addition, the average processing time for each new application for residency was about 76 days. The average time for processing each application for renewal of residency was approximately 25 days, said Mr Wong. During the meeting, issues relating to the criteria of how the authorities judge an application were also discussed. These included: the applicant’s linkage with Macao; family ties in Macao; and employment in professions that are in line with Macao’s development interests and that are capable of supporting the applicant with an adequate living. Both officials were in agreement that all exercise of discretionary power by the authorities – in relation to Portuguese citizens’ applications for residency in Macao – should be in accordance with relevant law. They added that the authenticity of the information supplied by each applicant was the key to an effective assessment. Mr Wong and Mr Sereno both agreed that cooperation between the police authorities in Macao and in Portugal was positive in its nature and close in practice.
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